Latest Resources

11 February 2007

Kenya – GMO Legislation

A Bill For An Act Of Parliament To Regulate Biotechnology And Biosafety Matters And For Connected Purposes. The ACB has been requested by a network of NGOs and other civil society groups in Kenya, to analyse and critically comment on the latest draft of the Kenyan Biosafety Bill (“the Bill”). Read the draft bill here.

8 February 2007

Opening Pandora’s box: GMOs, Fuelish Paradigms and South Africa’s Biofuels Strategy

Towards the end of 2006, the South African Cabinet approved a Draft Biofuels Industry Strategy 3 (‘Biofuels Strategy’), where after, the document was released for public comment. The Biofuels Strategy is supported by a feasibility study, 4 and read together, these documents propose the establishment of a biofuels industry with E8 and B2 blend targets […]

24 August 2006

Is South Africa in the US WTO Sights Over GM Import Ban?

Opinion And Analysis: By Mariam Mayet, August 2006 South Africa’s ban on GM import approvals South Africa’s pro-genetic engineering (GE) stance is well documented[1] and enshrined in national government policy. [2] During the period 2001-4, South Africa’s Executive Council (ExCo)[3] established under the Genetically Modified Organisms Act (GMO Act) has allowed the importation into South […]

2 August 2006

South Africa’s ban on GM import approvals

In September/October 2005, at the behest of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Executive Council (EC): GMO Act took the decision not to approve any more new GM applications for the purposes of importation in South Africa as food, feed and processing. The decision was taken to accommodate serious concerns by the DTI […]

4 June 2006

Pharma Crops and GE Vaccines

HIV Vaccine Clinical Trial Of Genetically Modified Organism (MRKAd5 HIV1 gag/pol/nef) African Centre for Biosafety Jun 2006. Read here. The Status Of Genetically Modified (gm) Pharmaceutical Crop Research In South Africa Mar 2006 Rose Williams. Read here.

29 May 2006

Bioethanol-Maize / Syngenta

COMMENTS BY THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR BIOSAFETY AND THE CENTRE FOR FOOD SAFETY (USA) Comments on Syngenta’s Application for Commodity Clearance of Genetically Modified Maize, Event 3272 African Centre for Biosafety & Centre for Food Safety, 29 May 2006 Read here. OVERVIEW Syngenta’s Event 3272 maize represents the very first genetically modified (GM) industrial crop […]

28 January 2006

Out of Africa: Mysteries of access and benefit sharing

In late 2005 the Edmunds Institute and the African Centre for Biosafety contacted famed bio-pirate hunter Jay McGowan to investigate incidences of access and benefit sharing in Africa. Despite many constraints on the research, McGowan found a plethora of incidents where transnational corporations had utilised African biodiversity without concluding benefit sharing agreements with the local […]

28 January 2006

The Long, winding road to a Biosafety Protocol – a South African view

At the negotiations for the Biosafety Protocol in Cartagena, the South Africa government surprised critics by displaying a maturity and understanding of the issues and concerns facing developing countries on the question of genetically engineered organisms. This in spite of attempts by the ‘Miami group’, a negotiating group representing the largest producer nations of biotechnology, […]

11 August 2005

Zambia – GMO Legislation

INTRODUCTION The Draft Labeling Standards are non-binding in the sense that they do not create legally binding obligations and responsibilities. As such, they are also not legally enforceable. The lack of teeth of the standards is not cured by the fact that the Zambian Bureau of Standards, a statutory body, produces the standards. However, the […]

8 March 2005

Comment on Zimbabwe’s National Biotechnology Authority Bill, 2005

Comment on Zimbabwe’s National Biotechnology Authority Bill, 2005 Read here.